Improvement in envelopes



UNrrED STATES PATENT Otrron.

BIRAM C. DAVIS, OF BINGHAMTON, NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN ENVELOPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 107,166, dated September 6,1870; antcdated August 27, 1870.

I, BIRAM G. DAVIS, of Binghamton, in the county of Broome, State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Letter-.Envelopes for Secret Communication, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to a letter-envelope designed for that portion of the public to use that at times desire to be secret in their correspondence, which is so constructed as to have two face-flaps for sealing up the letter and part of its respective directions. At the same time it shall be capable of bein g removed without unsealin g the same, which is accomplished by perforations made inside the gummed sealing parts.

The obj ect is to provide means by which persons can correspond with each other more secretly than heretofore accomplished, where their names are really used.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure l is a view of the envelope ready to be forwarded. Fig. 2 is the same after it has reached its destination and the postmaster there has removed part of the first flap. Fig. 3 is also the same, which not being called for in its given time has part of the second flap removed. Fig. 4 is a view showing the envelope with the perforated aps open.

General Description.

A is the body of the envelope, which is to be made of common material and size, but constructed with two face side perforated liaps, to be sealed down on the face. B is the first face- ;tiap, upon which the name of the place of its destination is written only, as shown in Fig. l. This direction is surrounded with perforations C C. D is the thumb-place, by which the center of flap B and F is removed as direction given at E and I.

F is the second face-flap, on which only the name of the person addressed is written, and also surrounded with perforations, which center is also removed if not called for in its given time.

G is the precise space given for the sender of the letter to sign his or her name, and name of the place where he or she resides, so that the gummed sealing parts H shall not defa-ce the same, as shown in Fig. 4.

General Operation. Supposing Iwish to write to a person and desire no one here shall know the person or name and the name of the place where I reside.

in the given space G on the body of the envelope. Then I seal down the iiap F. 0n this flap I write only the persons name the letter is addressed to, and then I seal down the flap B. 0n this flap I wri te only the name of the place of its destination, as shown in Fig. l. On arriving there, the postmaster places his thumb at D and tears off the center of liap B, which reveals the persons name it belongs to, as shown in Fig. 2; and if it should remain in the oflice ten days, according to directions given at I, the postmaster in like manner removes this center of flap F, which reveals and leaves my name only on the envelope, which is returned to me 5 and even if said letter should, by some mismanagement, reach the dead-letter office, they would have access to my name without disturbing its contents.

I claim- The envelope having two face-flaps, B and F, with perforations C C made inside the gummed sealing parts H, and thumb-place D, all as and for the purpose set forth.

- BIBAM C. DAVIS.

Titnesses DONALD GRANT, F. A.. DURKEE. 

